Have you ever read Homer’s The Iliad? My book group is reading it this month. I’ve wanted to read it my whole adult life, and I knew I couldn’t do it without a deadline. I met a man on a plane last fall who never travels with any other book — it’s all here, he said, human violence and struggle, all the themes that are still present today. He recommended Robert Fagles’ translation, and that’s the one we’re using.
So I’ve just started it, and it’s fantastic already. The language is amazing. The story is riveting. And truly, it really does make the challenges of church look easy. For one thing, while we may have questions about God sometimes, we’re not talking about the irrationality and capriciousness of the Greek gods as Homer depicts them. And church battles, while difficult, do not usually draw actual blood. The victor doesn’t steal someone’s woman (who was already considered the spoils of battle). It’s good to keep perspective.
What helps you keep your perspective on church?